Collapsible container



July 19, 1932- w. J. GEIST 1,867,914

COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER v 7 Filed Dec. -4, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1932- w.J. GEIST 1,867,914

OOLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER Filed Dec. 4, 1950 2 Sheet-Sheet 2 I HWHHHHIIHHHIH'7 .lnugniffr" Patented July 19, 19321 UNITED STATES wmnx carer, orLocxroar, rumors eoanarsnena con-rename Application med December 4,1930. Serial no. man.

My invention relates to containers or receptacles, such as those made ofpasteboard, fibreboard, or similar material which can be shipped ortransported in collapsed or flat condition, and which, when required foruse, can lie shaped to form with facility and disatc P One aim of theinvention is to provide a structure of this kind which will not requireany fastening or securing means to be applied to the collapsed body whenthe latter is opened to maintain it in its final form.

A further purpose of the invention is to supply a container of thischaracter which 35 will have no substantial tendency to collapse afterit has once been shaped to form.

,An added object of the invention is to furnish a receptacle of thistype, the production of which requires but small waste of stock in itsmanufacture.

Still an added feature of the invention resides in the multiple stockthickness of the collapsible bottom of the container.

Whereas the invention is articularly adapted for use in the productlonof containers for handling substantially large bodies of ice cream, andwhereas such improved receptacles are designed for single service, yetthe invention is susceptible of satisfactory employment in structuresintended for successive uses.

To enable those skilled in this art to have a full and completeunderstanding of the invention, both from structural and functionalstandpoints, in the accompanying drawings, vforming a part of thisspecification and to which reference should be had in connection withthe following detailed description, :1 present, preferred embodiment ofthe invention has been shown in detail, and, for simplicity, likereference numerals have been employed to designate the same parts throuhout the several views.

Alt ough a round or cylindrical container has been presented in suchdrawings, it is to be understood that the invention, as defined by theappended claims, is not necessarily limited to that form of structure.

In these drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of the finishedcontainer, cut away in one part to more clearly show its'construction;

Figure 2 is a face view of the flat blank from which the container isformed; 1

v F1gure 3 is a perspective presentation of 65 the container incollapsed, flat condition;

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-section on line 1-4 of Fig. 1 showin thebottom of the container formed of a p urality of overlapping tabs orflaps.

gure 5 is a fragmentary, longitudinal section through the lower portionof the expanded container before the tabs which are to constitute thebottom have been folded down into position.

Figure dis a view similar to that of Figure 4. with the tabs or flaps,which constitute the bottom of the receptacle, in the process of bemgpressed or forced down into place;- and Figure 7 is a fragmentary,longitudinal section on line 7-7 of Figure 6.

Referring to these several views of the drawings, it will be perceivedthat the flat pastebpard or other similarjmaterial blank 55 comprises a;main, substantially rectangular part 11 with two lengthwise creases 12and 13 and one transverse crease or folding line 14 near its bottom end.

At its upper edge, such blank may or may not have a pair oft-abs or ears15, 15 for the glapgling of the container after it has been Along itsbottom edge, such blank-has a series of tabs or flaps 16, 16 integralthere- 3 with and with a. folding line or crease 17 at their junctionswith the part 11, such flaps being substantially paral el, at an obliqueangle to the lengthwise dimension of the section 11 and present forsubstantially the full width of the blank.

To facilitate their folding around and over one another, the oppositelongitudinal edges 18, 19 of the flaps are curved slightly inwardly,that is to say, they are concave in minor degree, as is clearly shown inFigure 2, and the ends of such flaps are bevelled off or rounded at 21for a purpose hereinafter indicated.

It will be noted that two of such flaps are ,length of such specifiedtabs.

foldable on extensions of the crease-lines 12 and 13 which extenddownwardly the full It wi ing line 13, terminates at its lower end in reister with the cross crease-line 14.

The lower tab-equipped part of the plane blank is first folded over onthe line 14 so that the narrow section 23 between the parallelcrease-lines 14 and 17 and all of the tabs 16 will lie flat against theupper surface of the main body of the blank.

Thereupon the folded body is bent over on the longitudinal lines 12 and13, thus causing the flap 22 to underlie the opposite marginal portionof the blank to which it is y then secured or fastened in any approvedway, as by metallic clips 24, 24.

The folded body now presents the appearance depicted in Figure 3, and itis'in this fiat condition that the collapsed container is shipped to theuser, it being apparent that such member occupies a minimum of space andthat it can therefore be transported with economy and case.

When the urchaser desires to use the container to fill it with hisproduct, he opens up such flat folded member into cylindrical shape andforces the then upright tabs or flaps 16 down into overlapped,horizontal position to form the bottom of the receptacle, such flapsbending easily along the crease line 17 and naturally and normallyfalling into the overlapped, interlocked relation shown in Figures 1 and4.

Figures 6 and 7 show such tabs or flaps 16 in their intermediate, moreor less spiral po-,

sitions as they are being pressed or forced down into their finalpositions.

In such final or ultimate positions of the bottom flaps, each extendsacross the bottom of the container and its end 21 is shaped to conformto and it bears against the inner surface of the cylindrical main bodyof the receptacle, the center of the longer, inner curved edge of eachflap coinciding substantially with the center of the bottom, which, ofcourse is the same as the axis of the cylindrical body.

The complete, final position of one such flap only has been shown indotted lines in Figure 4 for clearness, but from this it will be readilyunderstood how the companion flaps are located in superposed, interlacedrelation.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the entire innercircumference of the cylindrical body is adequately maintained in itsround shape against deformation or col lapse by the united, complete,circular contact of the rounded ends of all of the flaps against it.

It should also be perceived that the inner,

narrow, round strip 23 and the corresponding or companion part of theouter wall of the container com rises a double-thickness, end flangebelow t e composite bottom and that such flange protects the bottom andacts as a strengthening and stiffening means for that part of thestructure.

In some cases, it may be desirable to use a round pasteboard or otherreinforcing disc 25 inside of the container, after it is opened up, justabove and resting on the plurality of flaps 16 forming the bottom.

In other instances, such a'disc is not necessary or desirable.

This novel and improved collapsible container is ordinarily intended forsingle service only, after which it may be discarded, but, if desired,after having been used, it can be easily reduced to its flat conditionagain and used later after having been re-formed to usable shape.

The invention, as defined by the following claims, is not necessarilylimited or con.- fined to the precise and exact details presented aboveand shown in the drawings, and many minor or major changes mayberesorted to without departure from the heart and essence of theinvention and without the loss or sacrifice of any of its material orsubstantial benefits or advantages.

I claim:

1. A fiat container blank having a main body-portion and a series offlaps extended at an oblique angle from an edge thereof, each of saidflaps having a concave longitudinal edge.

2. A fiat. container blank having a main body-portion and aseries offlaps extended at an oblique angle from an edge thereof, each of saidflaps having a rounded end of a curvature conforming substantially tothat of the completed container, each of said flaps being of a lengthwhereby such rounded end will bear against and conform to the oppositeinner surface of the sidewall of the completed container.

3. A flat container blank having a main substantially-rectangularbody-portion and a series of practically-parallel flaps extended at anoblique angle from an edge thereof, each of said flaps having a concavelongitudinal edge and a rounded end of a curvature conformingsubstantially to that of the completed container, each of said flapsbeing of a length whereby such rounded end will bear against and conformto the opposite inner surface of the sidewall of the completedcontainer.

4. A double-thickness flat blank having its longitudinal edge portionssecured together, each thickness of said blank having a plurality offlaps extended at an oblique angle from an end thereof and locatedbetween said thicknesses, each of said flaps having a concavelongitudinal edge and a rounded end of a curvature conformingsubstantially to that of the completed container, each of said flapsbein of a length whereb such rounded end will %ear against and con ormto the opposite inner surface of the sidewall of the completedcontainer.

5. A collapsible cylindrical container having an end wall composed of aseries of overlapping flaps extended from the side-wall of axis and withits free end rounded to conform to and bearing against the oppositeinner surface of said side-wall, said container having below said bottoma downwardly extended double-wall marginal flange formedin part by saidside-wall and in part by an upturned section inside of, integral with,and bearing against said side-wall part, said flaps extending inwardlyfrom the upper end of said upturned inner section.

7. A collapsible container having an end same as that of the completedcontainer, each of said flaps bein of a length whereby such rounded endwill %e the opposite inner surface of the sidewall of the completedcontainer.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM. J. GEIST.

wall composed of a series of overlapping flaps extended from thecontainer side-wall, each of such flaps having the substantial center ofits inner longitudinal edge in practical register with the containeraxis and with its free end shaped to conform to and bearing against theopposite inner surface of said side-wall, the s ecified free ends ofsaid flaps unitedly bearing against. substantially the entire innercontour of that end of the container.

8. A collapsible container having an end wall composed of a series ofoverlapping flaps extended from the container side-wall, each of suchflaps having the substantial center of its inner longitudinal edge inpractical register with the container axis and with its free end shapedto conform to and bearing against the opposite inner surface of saidside-wall, said container having below said bottom a downwardly-extendeddouble-wall marginal flange formed in part by said sidewall and in partby an upturned section mside of and bearing against said side-wall part,said flaps extending inwardly from the upper end of said upturned innersection.

9. A double-thickness flat blank havin its longitudinal edge portionssecured toget er, each thickness of said blank having a plurality offlaps extended at an oblique angle from an end thereof and locatedbetween said thicknesses, each of said flaps having a rounded end of acurvature substantially the ar against and conform to

